Thread-protector



lEf JAMES.

v THREAD PROTECTOR. APPLICATIONFIED 'APR.28'. 1915. RENEWED 1`uLY12, 1919.

11,361,525, 1 l I Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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EDWARD JAMES, OF CLEVELAND, 'OHIO THREAD-PROTECTOR.

l Application led April' 28, 1915, Serial No. 24,472.

'Cleveland county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio,

have invented a new and useful linprovement in Threacl-Protectors, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which l have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

rThe 'desirability is well understood of protecting the thread on the ends ot pipe or like articles which are generally threaded at the manulacturing plant vhere such pipe is made; lor, unless thus protected, the thread is aptto be'coine battered'or otherwise dainaged in the course of shipment, and while the before being applied; Fig.

applied and equally' principle oi -the pipe is lying around in the yard or lield, and so necessitate partial i'e-tlireadin'g betere such pipe can be used.v The presentinvention has as its object'the provision of aprotector ot this sort which will not only beso inexpensive as to ,render its use commercciallyA feasible, but which may be readily readily` removed, while still remaining securely alliited to the pipe at all times when desired that the thread shouldl 'be protected. Llfo the accomplishment of the lforegoing aiidfrelatcd ends, the invention, then, consistsv of the means hereinafter yfully described and particularly pointed out ,in the claims.

'The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain nicchanism embodying the invention, such disclosed'means constituting. however, but oneof various mechanical lorins in which the invent ion may be used. ln said annexed drawing lt1 igure one torni oi in v' improved thread protector 2 is a central vertical section oi the saine together `with the threaded end ot a pipe onto which suoli protector has been applied: Fig.` 3 is a front elevational view ol one component element ot the protector: Fig. l a view similar to Fig. l but illustrating certain modifications in construction; Fig. 5 illustrates another inodilication in one of the component Aelenientfo'l the device; and Figs. 6 and 7 respectively illustrate still other modifications `in the saine element.

Refer-ring tirst ot' struction illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the

Specification of LettersPatent,

vand a section o l` is a central vertical section olf' all to the form ot vcon- Patented Dec. '7, 1920'.

Renewed July 12, 191e. serial No. 310,501.

` devicewill be seen to comprise two principal the cap is such as to easil v slip onto the cor- `.responding end of the coil in the normal condition ot-tlie latter before it has been thus applied to the pipe-eiid.

In order to apply the device, the'projectingv portion olf the coil is started on the thread, and by rotation in the proper direction Athe entire coil, or practically the entire coil, is in etlfect screwed onto suoli end. The ettect ot this operation is to tend to spread the portion ot the coil that lies within the cap so as to lirnily e:rip the cylindrical wall ot the latter, this action being due both to the expanding etiect on tlieportion of the coil in question produced by screwingthe other portion thereof onto the pipe thread, and by the taper ot such thread itself.

rllhe vterminal convolution el of that end ot the coil which is received in the cap is desirably bent inwardly so as to be of smaller diameter than the main bodyn oi the coil, thereof bent still more sharply so as to .lie transversely ot the body posed end oit the wire, not only serves as a stop to limit the longitudinal movement ot vthe coil in screwing the saine on` the pipe end, but also provides means, should the cap be removed before the coil, Jfor rotating'tlie latter or pul ing it bodily tree from the pipe end. lt is contemplated, however, that ordinarily it will be sutlicient, in order to remove the device, to simply rotate the cap in the proper direction to unscrew the coil, whereupon the capl may be readily treed from the coil and the coil trointlie pipe end'. I

As illustrated in Figs. l, i) and 3 of the drawing, the wire of which the. coil is composed is of substantially circular cross-section. It will ot course be understood that such wire may be ot polygonal. jfor example et triangular crosssection, as shown in thev wire 7 in 4, moreover, l show a modified form of cap 8, in that the latter is of annular instead of closed form, the central aperture 9 therein permitting of access to the interior of the pipe as may be desirable where it isdesired to enamel the latter, or otherwise coat the interior thereof,

as is necessary in order to prepare the pipe for certain uses. The thread of course is equally effectively protected whether the ca a bc thus annular or closed. I

n order still more firmly to secure the cap in place when the coil has been` threaded onto. the pipe end, such cap, instead of being left with its interior surface perfectly smooth, may have one or more projections 10 stamped up or otherwise formed in such Wall, as illustrated in the case of cap 11, Fig. 6, to engage or interlock with the convolutions of the coil. A further modification in-the construction of the cap is shown in the cap 12 of Fig.. 5, such modification consisting in making the open end thereof of smaller diameter than the closed end, so that the side walls flare as indicated. This form of side wall permits the terminal convolutions of the coil to expand to a larger diametcrthan would otherwise be the case, and

the more firmly secures the cap in place on the coil, In order to vpermit of the ready removal of the cap in such case, one or more slits 13 will desirably be cut in the side wall thereof as shown. The cap may thus be simply sprungoff of the coil, and the latter unscrewed, as 1t were, by rotating the same through the medium'of the transversely' disposed end-section 5 provided for the purpose, or otherwise as found most 'conven1ent.

When it is desired to` employ a single lielical coil, without having its terminal convolution formed as illustrated in Fig.. 3, it will be desirable to form the cap specially, as

illustrated in Fig. 7, so that it will rotatably engage the end of such convolution. Thus the cap 14 illustrated in Fig. 7 is provided" with a lug 15 projecting -inwardly from the side wall adjacent such eaps closed end, which lug is adapted toabut against the end of the -convolution 16 when the cap is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. Such rotationwillobviously have a positive effect to unwind the coil from the i threaded pipe end, thus assisting the tendency due to the mere frictional engagement of the coil with the cap.

l Other modes of applying the principle of my 'invention maybe employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed,

provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such -stated means be employed.

i I therefore particularly point out and. distinctly. claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described,

' the combination with a helical wire coil adapted to sc rew onto a'thread; of a casingr normally fittlng said coil so as to be readily removable therefrom, said coil being expanded to interiorly grip said casing when thus screwed onto a thread.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a helical wire coil adapted to screw onto a thread; of a casing normally fitting said coil so as to bereadily removable therefrom, said coil being eX- panded to interiorly grip said-casing when thus screwed onto a thread, the side wall of said casing being fashioned to positively interlock with said coil in the latters expanded condition. f

. 3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a helical wire coil adapted to screw onto a thread; of a casing normally fitting said coil so as to be readily removable therefrom, said coil being expanded to interiorly grip said casing when thus screwed onto a thread, the side wall of said casing being of smaller diameter at its'v open than at its closed end so as to positively interlock with said coil Vin the latters expanded condition.

4. In a device ofthe character described,

,the combination lwith a helical -wire coil In a device of the character described,

the combination with a helical wire .coil adapted to screw onto a thread; of a casing normally fitting said coil so as to be-'readily removable therefrom, said coil being eX- pandedto interiorly grip said casing when thus screwed onto a thread and having its terminal convolutionwithin said casing bent transversely with respect to the body of the -coil.

6. AS, anv article of manufacture', a helical wire coil adapted to screw on a thread to protect the same, said coil having one terminal convolution bent transversely with respect to the body of the-coil and adapted to rest upon the end of the threaded article, substantiallyas and for the purpose deF scribed.

7. As an article ofmanufacture, a helical wire coil adapted to screw on a thread to protect the same, said coil having one terminal convolution of smaller diameter than the body of the coil and its extremity bent transversely with respect to the latter and adapted to rest upon the end of the threaded. article substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a device `of the character described, the combination with a 'cylindrical casing open at one end', of a spring fitted therein and engaging the same laterally, said spring being longer than said casing and being adapted to engage a threaded pipe end or the like, substantially as described.

9. lna device of the character described,

the combination with a cylindrical casing' open at one end, of a spring fitted therein and engaging the same laterally, said spring being Aadapted to engage a. threaded pipe end, said pipe end being adapted to spread.

said spring sufficiently to makel a tight fricy tional engagement between said spring and said casing. 10. Athread protector comprising a casing having a substantially circular locking' member therein conforming to the circumferential configuration `of the threads of a pipe or the like, said member being radially yielding whereby it will be spread radially against the casing by the pipe and be brought into frictional engagement there with and thereby be forcibly hold in frictional engagement with the threads throughout substantially the entire circumference ofsuch threads.

1l. A thread protector comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a yielding locking member engaged by and rotatable with application or to grip the pipe to resistv removal. 1

l2. A thread protector, comprising a calsing having a cylindrical interior, a locking member therein conforming to the circum- A ferential configuration of the threads of a pipe or the like. said member being radially yielding.'\ i'hereby'it will spread against the casing by the pipe and be brought into frictional engagement therewith and thereby be forcibly held in frictional engagementwith the threads throughout substantially the entire circumference of such threads.

Signed by me, this 26th day of April 1915.

I EDWARD J AMES.

Attested by z-A D. T. DAvms, H. M. KATHE. 

